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Marie-Isabel Aguilar

Publications and source records attributed to Marie-Isabel Aguilar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Transthyretin oligomers induce calcium influx via voltage-gated calcium channels.

The deposition of transthyretin (TTR) amyloid in the PNS is a major pathological feature of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy. The aim of the present study was to examine whether TTR could disrupt cytoplasmic Ca(2+) homeostasis and to determine the role of TTR aggregation in this process. The aggregation of amyloidogenic TTR was examined by solution turbidity, dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. A nucleation-dependent polymerization process was observed in which TTR formed low molecular weight aggregates (oligomers < 100 nm in diameter) before the appearance of mature fibrils. TTR rapidly induced an increase in the concentration of intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) when applied to SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The greatest effect on [Ca(2+)](i) was induced by a preparation that contained the highest concentration of TTR oligomers. The TTR-induced increase in [Ca(2+)](i) was due to an influx of extracellular Ca(2+), mainly via L- and N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). These results suggest that increasing [Ca(2+)](i) via VGCCs may be an important early event which contributes to TTR-induced cytotoxicity, and that TTR oligomers, rather than mature fibrils, may be the major cytotoxic form of TTR.

Calcium↗
PubMed2006

High resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy of the beta-amyloid protein (Abeta1-40) of Alzheimer's disease suggests a novel mechanism of oligomer assembly.

The aggregation of the beta-amyloid protein (Abeta) is an important step in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. There is increasing evidence that lower molecular weight oligomeric forms of Abeta may be the most toxic species in vivo. However, little is known about the structure of Abeta oligomers. In this study, scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) was used to examine the structure of Abeta monomers, dimers and oligomers. Abeta1-40 was visualised by STM on a surface of atomically flat gold. At low concentrations (0.5 microM) small globular structures were observed. High resolution STM of these structures revealed them to be monomers of Abeta. The monomers measured approximately 3-4 nm in diameter. Internal structure was seen in many of the monomers consistent with a conformation in which the polypeptide chain is folded into 3 or 4 domains. Oligomers were seen after ageing the Abeta solution for 24 h. The oligomers were also 3-4 nm in width and appeared to be formed by the end-to-end association of monomers with the polypeptide chain oriented at 90 degrees to the axis of the oligomer. The results suggest that the oligomer formation can proceed through a mechanism involving the linear association of monomers.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2006

Beta-amyloid fibril formation is promoted by step edges of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

The aggregation of the amyloid-beta-protein (Abeta) is an important step in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. As Abeta fibrils are not found in all brain regions, endogenous factors may influence Abeta fibril formation. In this study, atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the role of surface phenomena in directing amyloid aggregation. Abeta1-40 was applied to a surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at a concentration of 0.5 microM. Steps formed by edge-plane surface defects on the graphite were found to act as a template to promote the assembly of Abeta into fibrils. Initially, after being deposited on the graphite surface, Abeta had a uniform beaded morphology. However, after incubating (aging) the Abeta on the surface for several hours, the Abeta assembled along step edges to form linear aggregates. After more prolonged incubation, the linear Abeta aggregates fused to form mature fibrils with a distinctive helical morphology. The results demonstrate that surface interactions can promote the aggregation of Abeta into amyloid fibrils and they suggest that similar interactions could promote amyloid aggregation in vivo.

Amyloid↗
PubMed2005

T cell determinants incorporating beta-amino acid residues are protease resistant and remain immunogenic in vivo.

A major hurdle in designing successful epitope-based vaccines resides in the delivery, stability, and immunogenicity of the peptide immunogen. The short-lived nature of unmodified peptide-based vaccines in vivo limits their therapeutic application in the immunotherapy of cancers and chronic viral infections as well as their use in generating prophylactic immunity. The incorporation of beta-amino acids into peptides decreases proteolysis, yet its potential application in the rational design of T cell mimotopes is poorly understood. To address this, we have replaced each residue of the SIINFEKL epitope individually with the corresponding beta-amino acid and examined the resultant efficacy of these mimotopes. Some analogs displayed similar MHC binding and superior protease stability compared with the native epitope. Importantly, these analogs were able to generate cross-reactive CTLs in vivo that were capable of lysing tumor cells that expressed the unmodified epitope as a surrogate tumor Ag. Structural analysis of peptides in which anchor residues were substituted with beta-amino acids revealed the basis for enhanced MHC binding and retention of immunogenicity observed for these analogs and paves the way for future vaccine design using beta-amino acids. We conclude that the rational incorporation of beta-amino acids into T cell determinants is a powerful alternative to the traditional homologous substitution of randomly chosen naturally occurring alpha-amino acids, and these mimotopes may prove particularly useful for inclusion in epitope-based vaccines.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Binding of amyloidogenic transthyretin to the plasma membrane alters membrane fluidity and induces neurotoxicity.

Transthyretin (TTR) can deposit as amyloid in the peripheral nervous system and induce a peripheral neuropathy. We examined the mechanism of TTR amyloid neurotoxicity on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Wild-type (WT) TTR and two amyloidogenic mutants (V30M and L55P) were expressed in Escherichia coli. Incubation (aging) of WT TTR at 37 degrees C for 1 week caused no significant aggregation. However, there was a significant increase in the extent of amyloid fibril formation after the amyloidogenic mutants had been aged. L55P TTR aggregated more readily than V30M TTR. Both amyloidogenic mutants were neurotoxic after aging. The order of neurotoxicity was as follows: L55P > V30M > WT. As binding of amyloid proteins to the plasma membrane may cause cytotoxicity, we studied the binding of TTR to a plasma membrane-enriched preparation from SH-SY5Y cells by surface plasmon resonance. All three forms bound to the plasma membrane through electrostatic interactions. The binding of the amyloidogenic mutants was increased by aging. The amount of binding correlated closely with the amount of aggregation and with the cytotoxicity of each form. As membrane fluidity can influence cell viability, we also examined the effect of TTR on membrane fluidity using a fluorescence anisotropy method. Binding of the amyloidogenic TTR mutants increased membrane fluidity, and once again, the order of potency was as follows: L55P > V30M > WT. These results demonstrate that TTR can bind to the plasma membrane and cause a change in membrane fluidity. Altered membrane fluidity may be the cause of the neurotoxicity.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2005

Strongly altered receptor binding properties in PP and NPY chimeras are accompanied by changes in structure and membrane binding.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) are members of the neuropeptide Y family of hormones. They bind to the Y receptors with very different affinities: Whereas PP is highly selective for the Y(4) receptor, NPY displays highest affinites for Y(1), Y(2), and Y(5) receptor subtypes. Introducing the NPY segment 19-23 into PP leads to an increase in affinity at the Y(1) and Y(2) receptor subtypes whereas the exchange of this segment from PP into NPY leads to a large decrease in affinity at all receptor subtypes. PP displays a very stable structure in solution, with the N terminus being back-folded onto the C-terminal alpha-helix (the so-called PP-fold). The helix of NPY is less stable and the N terminus is freely diffusing in solution. The exchange of this segment, however, does not alter the PP-fold propensities of the chimeric peptides in solution. The structures of the phospholipid micelle-bound peptides serving to mimic the membrane-bound species display segregation into a more flexible N-terminal region and a well-defined alpha-helical region. The introduction of the [19-23]-pNPY segment into hPP leads to an N-terminal extension of the alpha-helix, now starting at Pro(14) instead of Met(17). In contrast, a truncated helix is observed in [(19)(-)(23)hPP]-pNPY, starting at Leu(17) instead of Ala(14). All peptides display moderate binding affinities to neutral membranes (K(assoc) in the range of 1.7 to 6.8 x 10(4) mol(-)(1) as determined by surface plasmon resonance) with the differences in binding being most probably related to the exchange of Arg-19 (pNPY) by Glu-23 (hPP). Differences in receptor binding properties between the chimeras and their parental peptides are therefore most likely due to changes in the conformation of the micelle-bound peptides.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Studies on the membrane interactions of the cyclotides kalata B1 and kalata B6 on model membrane systems by surface plasmon resonance.

In this study we have demonstrated the interactions of kalata B1 and its naturally occurring analogue kalata B6 with five model lipid membranes and have analyzed the binding kinetics using surface plasmon resonance. Two kalata peptides showed a higher affinity for the phosphatidylethanolamine-containing membranes, indicating that the peptides would bind selectively to bacterial membranes. Also we have optimized the procedure for the immobilization of five liposome mixtures and have shown that the procedure provides reproducible levels of immobilized liposomes and could be used to screen the selective binding of putative antimicrobial peptides to model mammalian or microbial phospholipid membranes.

Cyclotides↗
PubMed2005

Surface plasmon resonance for the analysis of beta-amyloid interactions and fibril formation in Alzheimer's disease research.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the accumulation of amyloid deposits, the major component of which is a 4 kDa polypeptide known as beta-amyloid protein (ABeta). Identifying the mechanism underlying the formation of Abeta and the pathways that lead to its toxicity is crucial to understanding the mechanism of AD and addressing the urgent need for new and effective treatments for AD. The accumulation of ABeta is the result of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors that affect the generation, clearance and aggregation of the peptide. Because of its propensity to aggregate, ABeta builds up in the brain and assembles into amyloid fibrils, ultimately creating amyloid plaques (APs) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Abeta has been shown to interact with a number of intracellular and extracellular molecules, but the relative contribution of these interactions to the toxicity of Abeta is not well understood. A critical step in characterising the importance of these interactions is the ability to measure both the affinity and kinetics of these interactions. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy has become a widely used technique to study molecular interactions such as antibody-antigen, DNA-DNA, DNA-protein, protein-protein, receptor-ligand and peptide- and protein-membrane interactions. This article reviews the application of SPR to the study of the molecular interactions associated with AD and how this information enhances our molecular understanding of ABeta -mediated toxicity.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2005

Crystal structure of the soluble form of the redox-regulated chloride ion channel protein CLIC4.

The structure of CLIC4, a member of the CLIC family of putative intracellular chloride ion channel proteins, has been determined at 1.8 Angstroms resolution by X-ray crystallography. The protein is monomeric and it is structurally similar to CLIC1, belonging to the GST fold class. Differences between the structures of CLIC1 and CLIC4 are localized to helix 2 in the glutaredoxin-like N-terminal domain, which has previously been shown to undergo a dramatic structural change in CLIC1 upon oxidation. The structural differences in this region correlate with the sequence differences, where the CLIC1 sequence appears to be atypical of the family. Purified, recombinant, wild-type CLIC4 is shown to bind to artificial lipid bilayers, induce a chloride efflux current when associated with artificial liposomes and produce an ion channel in artificial bilayers with a conductance of 30 pS. Membrane binding is enhanced by oxidation of CLIC4 while no channels were observed via tip-dip electrophysiology in the presence of a reducing agent. Thus, recombinant CLIC4 appears to be able to form a redox-regulated ion channel in the absence of any partner proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Lipid membrane-binding properties of tryptophan analogues of linear amphipathic beta-sheet cationic antimicrobial peptides using surface plasmon resonance.

Using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) system, we investigated the lipid membrane-binding properties of four analogues of the 18-residue linear amphipathic beta-sheet cationic antimicrobial peptide (KIGAKI)3-NH2, each of which contains a single isoleucine-to-tryptophan substitution. The results of the SPR study revealed significant differences in the binding characteristics of the peptides depending upon the position of tryptophan residues. These peptides showed higher binding affinity to membranes containing acidic phospholipids than zwitterionic phospholipids. The addition of dimethylsulfoxide to the running buffer was effective in maintaining the solubility of these peptide solutions and obtaining concentration-dependent sensorgrams for the kinetic analysis in this study. The kinetic binding data of SPR correlated closely with both the ability of the peptides to lyse liposomes with the same phospholipid composition and bactericidal activity. The results demonstrate that SPR may be a valuable tool to predict the membrane lytic properties of antimicrobial peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Quenched fluorescent substrate-based peptidase assays.

The use of specific quenched fluorescent substrates (QFS) provides a rapid and sensitive method to measure peptidase activity, and is readily adaptable to high-throughput screening of potential peptidase inhibitors. In this chapter, we discuss general considerations for the development of QFS assays, and describe in detail an assay protocol for the mammalian metallopeptidase, endothelin-converting enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Evaluation of the membrane-binding properties of the proximal region of the angiotensin II receptor (AT1A) carboxyl terminus by surface plasmon resonance.

The proximal region of the angiotensin II receptor (AT1A) carboxyl-terminus (known as helix VIII) is important for receptor function. In this study, we used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to examine the interaction of helix VIII-derived peptides with three model lipid membranes. The membrane-binding properties of these synthetic peptides, as well as a series of peptide analogues with modified amino acid sequences, could be explained by both amino acid sequence and kinetic binding data by SPR. The helix VIII peptides showed a higher affinity for lipid membranes that contained negatively charged phospholipid, rather than zwitterionic phospholipid. The findings of an SPR study may be useful for estimating the cooperative binding of intracellular receptor domains with G proteins and the components of the lipid bilayer.

Cell Membrane↗
PubMed2004

Isolation and characterization at cholinergic nicotinic receptors of a neurotoxin from the venom of the Acanthophis sp. Seram death adder.

The present study describes the isolation of the first neurotoxin (acantoxin IVa) from Acanthophis sp. Seram death adder venom and an examination of its activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes. Acantoxin IVa (MW 6815; 0.1-1.0 microM) caused concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches (0.1 Hz, 0.2 ms, supramaximal V) and inhibited contractile responses to exogenous nicotinic agonists in the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle, confirming that this toxin is a postsynaptic neurotoxin. Acantoxin IVa (1-10 nM) caused pseudo-irreversible antagonism at skeletal muscle nAChR with an estimated pA2 of 8.36+/-0.17. Acantoxin IVa was approximately two-fold less potent than the long-chain (Type II) neurotoxin, alpha-bungarotoxin. With a pKi value of 4.48, acantoxin IVa was approximately 25,000 times less potent than alpha-bungarotoxin at alpha7-type neuronal nAChR. However, in contrast to alpha-bungarotoxin, acantoxin IVa completely inhibited specific [3H]-methyllycaconitine (MLA) binding in rat hippocampus homogenate. Acantoxin IVa had no activity at ganglionic nAChR, alpha4beta2 subtype neuronal nAChR or cytisine-resistant [3H]-epibatidine binding sites. While long-chain neurotoxin resistant [3H]-MLA binding in hippocampus homogenate requires further investigation, we have shown that a short-chain (Type I) neurotoxin is capable of fully inhibiting specific [3H]-MLA binding.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The structure of H-2K(b) and K(bm8) complexed to a herpes simplex virus determinant: evidence for a conformational switch that governs T cell repertoire selection and viral resistance.

Polymorphism within the MHC not only affects peptide specificity but also has a critical influence on the T cell repertoire; for example, the CD8 T cell response toward an immunodominant HSV glycoprotein B peptide is more diverse and of higher avidity in H-2(bm8) compared with H-2(b) mice. We have examined the basis for the selection of these distinct antiviral T cell repertoires by comparing the high-resolution structures of K(b) and K(bm8), in complex with cognate peptide Ag. Although K(b) and K(bm8) differ by four residues within the Ag-binding cleft, the most striking difference in the two structures was the disparate conformation adopted by the shared residue, Arg(62). The altered dynamics of Arg(62), coupled with a small rigid-body movement in the alpha(1) helix encompassing this residue, correlated with biased Valpha usage in the B6 mice. Moreover, an analysis of all known TCR/MHC complexes reveals that Arg(62) invariably interacts with the TCR CDR1alpha loop. Accordingly, Arg(62) appears to function as a conformational switch that may govern T cell selection and protective immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Functional and structural characteristics of NY-ESO-1-related HLA A2-restricted epitopes and the design of a novel immunogenic analogue.

NY-ESO-1, a commonly expressed tumor antigen of the cancer-testis family, is expressed by a wide range of tumors but not found in normal adult somatic tissue, making it an ideal cancer vaccine candidate. Peptides derived from NY-ESO-1 have shown preclinical and clinical trial promise; however, biochemical features of these peptides have complicated their formulation and led to heterogeneous immune responses. We have taken a rational approach to engineer an HLA A2-restricted NY-ESO-1-derived T cell epitope with improved formulation and immunogenicity to the wild type peptide. To accomplish this, we have solved the x-ray crystallographic structures of HLA A2 complexed to NY-ESO (157-165) and two analogues of this peptide in which the C-terminal cysteine residue has been substituted to alanine or serine. Substitution of cysteine by serine maintained peptide conformation yet reduced complex stability, resulting in poor cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition. Conversely, substitution with alanine maintained complex stability and cytotoxic T lymphocyte recognition. Based on the structures of the three HLA A2 complexes, we incorporated 2-aminoisobutyric acid, an isostereomer of cysteine, into the epitope. This analogue is impervious to oxidative damage, cysteinylation, and dimerization of the peptide epitope upon formulation that is characteristic of the wild type peptide. Therefore, this approach has yielded a potential therapeutic molecule that satiates the hydrophobic F pocket of HLA A2 and exhibited superior immunogenicity relative to the wild type peptide.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Alzheimer's disease therapeutics: new approaches to an ageing problem.

Abnormal proteinaceous deposits are found in the brain of patients with many different neurodegenerative diseases. In many of these diseases, the production of the deposits is probably associated with disease pathogenesis. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the amyloid protein (A beta), is produced by the action of enzymes known as secretases, which cleave the beta-amyloid protein precursor. A beta is secreted from cells in the brain, after which it oligomerizes and is deposited in the extracellular compartment of the brain to form amyloid plaques and amyloid angiopathy. Targeting the production of A beta and its aggregation is now a key strategy in the development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of AD. This review examines the potential of immunization strategies, cholesterol-lowering drugs, protease inhibitors and nicotinic drugs for the treatment of AD.

Alzheimer Disease↗